road trip side effects and more pics

so, i mentioned in my last post (forever ago) that jacob and i played a little license plate game while on the road for 17 hours. it was fun. maybe a little weird how fun it was.  

we got all but three – Rhode island, Delaware, and Connecticut. we have both been plagued with a thrill of the hunt and cannot stop looking at license plates even now that we are back in town. crazy! take today for instance, my 2nd Alaska for the week, California, South Carolina, North Carolina, but, alas, those three New England states evade us. boo!

okay, now for some more pictures of our trip to my sister’s house.

 
star wars trivial pursuit - blurry

pikes peak in the background
 
cassie’s shot – i love it

boys and all grown-up
 
tough choices

purple mountain’s majesty

two of nature’s beauties – one a little more sunshiny than the other
 
downtown denver
 
garden of the gods – colorado springs

dinner made by the girls and “whoa this is dangerous”
 
dinner of buffalo, elk, ostrich, and rattlesnake
 
they get their blue eyes from their mama
 
aspiring baker and wii dance
 
baby bed, nursery rocker, yard sale finds, and our basic luggage – packed.

a good trip. a very good trip.

Arkansas, and Oklahoma, and Kansas, oh my….

we spent quite a few hours in each of those states. we are now in colorado…..denver to be exact. 
we have been 1102 miles according to the GPS. our license plate game has left us with 9 states left to “see” – mostly new england states. can you believe we have seen license plates from hawaii and alaska?!?!? 

and now, scenes from a road trip.


 
just before getting lost because of a detour – NOT fun!
 
jacob got so bored he cleaned out my purse……seriously.
no worries, i still had my eyes on the road and there were no cars around.

 
a prairie storm. very intriguing and mesmerizing. truly a testament to God’s awesomeness.
 

the face i make because i hate serious pictures because they usually contain a double chin. yep.

it was a blast and not nearly as bad as i thought it would be. we are here now and enjoying our family.
wonderful weather, endless games, and tons of conversation. just the way things ought to be.

more to come later!

a family story

A little history on this bit…..I wrote this back in 2006 after finding out my sister was having another baby. 

“So, my sister is having a baby - yes, this is number three.  Funny thing is I was the first to find out; well, not that that is funny in and of itself. 

However, she told me and then made me wait for over a week before she would tell anyone else in our family.  If you know me, you know how difficult this was!  Then, she told my little (yeah 6'5" 230 lbs, little) brother - but she made him think that he was the only one to know!  Then, she thought this was pretty funny, so then she told my dad and stepmom and made them think they were the only ones to know also.  Now, I am the only one that knows that everyone else knows she is pregnant and that everyone else thinks they are the only ones that know. 

Or at least I think I am the only one that knows that!  Ha!”

We are going to see the little guy that stirred up this whole family situation. He’s almost four now and hilarious!
 
PLUS, he is being gracious enough to let our baby have all of his old nursery furniture that has been stored in the attic for a while.

patriotic pancakes and big butts

these have been a semi-tradition around here since we have married.

red, white, and blue pancakes to celebrate our country. yummy!

we may have started another tradition this year too. it involves big butts – butts that are meaty, juicy, and smokin’. no, i am not talking about sir mixalot here! (i couldn’t resist)

step one: rub your butts with dry rub, preferably Rendezvous seasoning (bought at Sam’s)
 
step two: fire up the smoker box on the grill

step three: wait

step four: wait

step five: wait some more

step six: find a luscious piece of meat charred in your backyard.



YUM!!!

barbeque is a way of life here in the south, especially for summer holidays. and you HAVE to eat slaw on your sandwich….have to.  

i like big butts…………….and i cannot lie. they are yummy!

farewell “black hole”

the walls are painted black. the crown molding and trim are dark grey. there are black, black-out curtains.

it houses a frumpy sectional sofa, a very large television, and all of the gaming equipment and cords.
the shelves are adorned with childhood  treasures and countless star wars memorabilia.
 
it is home to quirky nods to my husband’s eclectic personality.
 
yes, the “black hole” is jacob’s man-cave, or more specifically his star wars’ room.
and we have begun cleaning it out for transformation into a nursery.
a little sad, but mostly exciting.

 
to my wookiee, i love you so much and i am terribly thrilled about the changes our little life is undergoing.